Preparation

Active

1 h 15 m

Ready In

2 h 30 m

To prepare pastry dough: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it starts bubbling, cook, stirring and watching carefully so it doesn't burn, until golden brown, 2 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a metal bowl and refrigerate until solid again, 25 to 30 minutes.

Combine whole-wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor. Pulse once or twice to mix. Cut the butter and cream cheese into pieces; add and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add oil and pulse until it looks like wet sand. Add milk and pulse until small clumps form.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and press into a ball, then press the ball into a disk about 8 inches wide. Wrap in the parchment and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

To prepare almond paste: Grind almonds in a food processor into a fine meal. Add ⅓ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour and process again to combine, then add egg whites and almond extract and process briefly. Set aside.

To prepare caramel hazelnuts: Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Melt 1½ tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon milk in a small saucepan over high heat. As soon as the butter melts, stir in ⅓ cup sugar and salt until combined. Reduce the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer without stirring until it just begins to color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add hazelnuts, increase heat to medium-high and stir to coat well. Continue to stir the mixture slowly but constantly until the caramel is brown and readily melts when it touches the pan, 3 to 6 minutes. If the caramel looks like it's starting to burn, immediately remove from heat. Pour the nuts onto the prepared parchment and quickly spread into a single layer. Don't worry if some stick together. Cool completely, then break into small pieces.

To roll out pastry: Dust a sheet of parchment paper, and the dough, with flour. Roll the dough out into a 15-inch circle. Go slowly and if it cracks just press the pieces together. Dust with flour as needed and keep the circle as even as you can, but don't worry about rough edges.

To assemble & bake: Spread the reserved almond paste over the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border. Scatter chocolate over the almond paste, then evenly scatter the hazelnuts over the chocolate.

Use the parchment to lift the edges of the pastry and fold loosely over the filling in 2- or 3-inch sections. It may crack as you fold it, but that's fine. Lightly brush the top of the pastry with 1 tablespoon milk and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Transfer the galette, parchment and all, onto a baking sheet. Trim off overhanging parchment.

Bake the galette until the edges just start to brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate pastry dough for up to 1 day or freeze airtight for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.

Equipment: Parchment paper

Tips:
White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com. Store it in the freezer.

To toast and skin whole hazelnuts: Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes. After toasting, let hazelnuts cool for a few minutes, then rub together in a clean kitchen towel to release most of the papery skins.

Reviews 1

Yummy chocolatey nutty goodness
Really good if you have the day off (I did on Veterans Day). Start with browning butter (needs to solidify in refrigerator) which is needed for pastry recipe (which needs to chill a minimum of 1 hour). Blanching almonds and toasting hazelnuts next. Then caramelizing the hazelnuts. Almond paste last. Then assemble! Whew! But worth it!!!!!
Pros: Pastry, almond paste, caramel hazelnuts and chocolate, of course!
Cons: Took planning ahead in regards to time